A Very Dear Friend

Mahariel was shocked awake from her dream—nightmare?—sitting up with a loud gasp. She could feel the sweat sliding down her body, her hands instinctively reaching for her blades.

The damn thing looked at her.

There was no way else she could put it. She had dreamed, again, of the Archdemon. It was amassing its horde, growing ever stronger…and it was coming for her and Alistair. It knew they lived and it was going to kill them.

She glanced toward the other Warden, who looked just as harried as she felt.

"You saw it too?" he asked, his voice thick. She only nodded, though her grip on her daggers did not relent. "It felt like it was watching us, especially at the end. It knows we're here… It…it wants us dead."

A shriek interrupted him, jostling everyone out of their bedrolls—almost as if on-cue. Mahariel jumped to her feet and started slashing, not even sure what she was cutting until it was dead in front of her: a darkspawn.

Darkspawn… In her camp.

Rage filled her then and she went after the next bastard. This was what the Archdemon wanted. Their deaths. It would have to do better—

And she stopped, blade held high and ready to strike. But she could not strike. No. Not the target that now stood before her.

Tamlen.

"Lethallan…" he whispered. "No, no… I can't… Lethallan, forgive me. I cannot stay… I cannot…"

Just as quickly as he was there, he turned and ran to the edge of camp.

"Tamlen!" Mahariel cried and ran after him. He was alive! Her best friend was alive! She hadn't registered his croaky voice, or his twisted appearance. All she saw was her best friend. "Tamlen! Wait! Please!"

He stopped, seeming to curl into himself before the trees. He turned to her, bent and crooked, his skin pale and splotchy, his eyes dark and hollow. "No, lethallan, no, please, stay back…Do not look at me… It sings to me, tells me to do things… but I cannot…no, no… my lethallan, no…"

"Tamlen…? What…?"

"Forgive me, lethallan," he tried to hide his face. "It sings…it cries… it wants you dead, but I cannot… oh, my lethallan, please… I am sorry…"

Tears streamed down Mahariel's face as she realized what was happening—what had happened to Tamlen. He was Tainted now, he was becoming…one of them… She was heedless of the battle raging behind them.

"No…no, it's… it is okay, Tamlen. Let us help you. We…we can cure you…"

"It is too late for me, my lethallan." Tamlen's hollow eyes seemed to rim with tears, but Mahariel wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not. "You must…you must…"

She knew what he asked. "I cannot kill you, Tamlen," she whispered. "I can… I cannot…"

"You…leave me no choice, my lethallan. Forgive me."

And he lunged. The Warden's arms seemed to move on their own, parrying and dodging his attacks—until Alistair appeared. She fell back as Alistair's blade sliced through the creature who used to be Tamlen.

He turned to her, dropping to his knees next to where she had fallen and touched her arm gently. "Who…was that?"

"…A very dear friend."

A/N: This is an older one-shot I wrote...god, I don't even know how long ago. Before DA2 came out. It's probably crap, but I felt like sharing nonetheless. Lemme know what you think! I appreciate constructive critisism! Thank you very much for reading!